Fifty Shades of Gryffindor
by RainyDayReading
Summary: A collection of drabbles and oneshots featuring our favorite Gryffindors! Written for the Fifty Shades Challenge. Overall T rating, but each chapter will have its own rating/warnings. Enjoy!
1. Face the (Green) Light

**Title:** Face the (Green) Light

 **Summary:** Lily would do anything to protect Harry.

 **Rating:** T **(WARNING FOR CHARACTER DEATH)**

 **Pairings:** Slight mentions of Lily/James

 **Challenges:** Once Upon A Time Characters Category Challenge-tition - Competition: Rumplestiltskin - "Write about a parent who is willing to do anything for a child."

 **Extra Notes:** Enjoy!

 **Face the (Green) Light**

Lily Potter knew that it was only a matter of time.

As she rocked her baby son, Harry, back and forth in her arms, her mind raced. She was terrified; terrified that the Dark Lord would find where she and James had gone into hiding, terrified that he would come and rip them away from her, terrified that her son's life would end before it even had the chance to truly begin.

She looked down at the sleeping child cradled in her arms and smiled softly. He looked so much like James, his dark hair already thick and messy. Except for his eyes. Even though they were closed at the moment, she knew they were green. Just like hers.

She glanced around the nursery, remembering when she and James had spent days assembling the crib in the corner and painting the walls with a pastel blue and hanging up the mobile on the ceiling.

It was all for Harry. Everything was for Harry.

And when the door to the nursery burst open, Lily leapt to her feet, already drawing out her wand with one hand and clutching Harry close to her chest with another.

It was him.

It was Voldemort.

Harry began to wail in her arms, disturbed from his slumber. His cries echoed in her ears.

She would not let him die.

She would never let anybody hurt her son.

Lily Potter had known that it was only a matter of time.

"I love you, Harry," she whispered to the baby.

It was time.

It was _her_ time.

And she stared into the eyes of the Dark Lord. It was time to face the spell, the magic words that would steal her life forever.

Time to face the light. That blinding green flash of light.

Voldemort raised his wand, eyes glinting. Lily steeled herself.

 _I love you, Harry._

 _"AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

And then the green light consumed her.

Lily Evans Potter was gone.


	2. The Golden Girl

**Title:** The Golden Girl

 **Summary:** Hermione fails her first essay.

 **Rating:** K+

 **Pairings:** None

 **Challenges:** Once Upon A Time Characters Category Challenge-tition - Competition: Emma Swan - "Write about a Gryffindor."

 **Extra Notes:** Enjoy!

 **The Golden Girl**

Hermione sat wordlessly in the Gryffindor Common Room, with nothing but the sound of flames crackling in the fireplace to keep her company. Everyone, even Harry and Ron, had long since gone up to bed, leaving her curled up on the armchair, alone.

"Okay, Hermione," she whispered. "Time to face the music."

She reached into the satchel discarded on the floor at the foot of the chair and closed her fingers around a rolled-up piece of parchment. She pulled it out of her bag and stared at it.

Slowly, she unrolled it, grimacing as her own handwriting, looping neatly across the page, came into view.

And… there it was.

The scrawled red letters, scribbled across the top corner of her Divination essay: _FAIL._

She flinched, unrolling the essay completely and smoothing it down on her lap.

She had handed in the essay a week ago- and quite proudly, too. It had taken her almost two hours to write, and, considering Divination was the subject she liked the least, she thought it had come out very well-written.

Unfortunately, Professor Trelawney hadn't agreed.

Hermione blinked harshly. She wouldn't cry over this- no, she _couldn't_ cry over this, because crying over a failed essay in a subject that she didn't even care about was just stupid.

"Hermione?"

Hermione nearly fell out of the chair. She snapped her neck around, eyes darting around the room.

It was Parvati Patil, standing sleepy-eyed and messy-haired near the stairs leading to the girls' dormitories.

"Oh," Hermione said, crumpling her essay in her hand and hiding it behind her back. "Hi, Parvati."

Parvati rubbed her eyes and approached the other girl, taking a seat on the armchair across from Hermione's. "What's that?" she asked, gesturing to the paper Hermione had not-so-subtly stashed behind her.

"Nothing," Hermione lied. Then she sighed. She had never been a good liar.

"Come on, Hermione," Parvati urged, looking slightly hurt. "Tell me. What is it?"

Hermione swallowed hard, then pulled out the paper and passed it to Parvati, who flattened it out and squinted at it.

"Your Divination essay?" Parvati asked, confused. "Why were you hiding it?"

Hermione just shook her head miserably.

Parvati frowned down at the paper. "Is it because you failed?"

When there was no response, Parvati glanced up, her dark eyes meeting Hermione's.

"Hermione," Parvati said, eyes widening, "haven't you ever failed a paper before?"

Once again, Hermione shook her head.

"Wow," Parvati praised, visibly impressed. "You're really smart."

Hermione looked down at her hands.

"It isn't a big deal, you know," Parvati assured her. "To fail an essay, I mean. It happens to everybody at sometime or another."

"It's not that!" Hermione blurted, and then everything came pouring out. "I'm supposed to be smart and I know I am smart and I can never fail everything because it'll prove to them that I'm not good enough and-"

"Wait," Parvati interrupted. "Prove to who that you're not good enough?"

"The Slytherins," Hermione whispered, a tear sliding down her face. She always pretended that what they said about her didn't bother her, but, truth be told, it did. It bothered her more than she would care to admit. "They call me 'Mudblood,'" Hermione continued. "And I know that my parents are Muggles, but does that somehow make them better than me? Just because I'm not a pureblood doesn't mean that I can't be a strong witch. And now that I've failed that essay…" She took a deep breath. "Are they right about me? Am I really nothing more than a filthy Mudblood?"

"Hermione," Parvati said gently, eyes wide. "Of _course_ you're not just a… a Mudblood." She winced at the word, then went on. "Just because you didn't do as well as you'd have liked on _one essay_ doesn't mean you're not the amazing witch you were before. You're top of our class, and it doesn't matter what those Slytherin snakes decide to say about you. Okay?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "Okay, Parvati. Thank you."

Parvati grinned. "No problem. Now, don't you think it's time we both get some sleep?"

Hermione smiled back, and together, the two girls went upstairs to the dormitory.

It was hard, trying to be perfect all the time. But in that moment, talking to Parvati… she could finally breathe from beneath all of her smothering golden armor.


	3. Don't Deserve the Gold

**Title:** Don't Deserve the Gold

 **Summary:** Peter wishes he deserved the Gryffindor colors.

 **Rating:** T

 **Pairings:** None

 **Challenges:** Once Upon A Time Characters Category Challenge-tition - Competition: Sidney Glass - "Write about Peter Pettigrew."

 **Extra Notes:** Enjoy!

 **Don't Deserve the Gold**

Peter Pettigrew remembered why he had become an Animagus.

It had been back in his Hogwarts school days, back when he still had friends, back when he was still honored to be part of the Marauders.

James and Sirius had been the ones to suggest the idea. The three of them had been sitting quietly in an abandoned corridor, just after Remus broke the news to them that he was a werewolf.

"We have to do this for him," James had said determinedly.

Sirius had nodded firmly. "He's our friend. We need to be there for him. And if we become Animagi, he won't have to transform by himself."

In the dim light of the dusty hallway, their faces looked older and shadowy. It had scared Peter; he had never seen his friends look so fiercely passionate about _anything._

"But- But becoming Animagi is illegal!" Peter had whispered, terrified. "We can't do this!"

James had given him a warning glare. "We're doing this for Remus, Pete. Think of Remus."

But Peter _hadn't_ been thinking of Remus; he had been thinking of himself.

All he ever did was think of himself.

And, even now, curled up beside Ron Weasley's bed in his rat form as the boy slept, Peter was glad he had become an Animagus. Because he was much more helpful to the Dark Lord as Scabbers the Rat than as Peter Pettigrew.

A shiver ran down Peter's wormlike rat's tail.

 _The Dark Lord._

The evil, non-human _being_ that he worshipped and revered. But not because he truly believed what Voldemort was preaching- oh, no.

It was because Peter was scared.

He was always scared.

All he knew how to do was look out for himself.

He still wished that he could be like James, or Sirius, or Remus. _True_ Gryffindors. Men who had _earned_ their standing in bravery.

People who had _earned_ the right to wear the Gryffindor colors of red and gold.

But Peter knew he only deserved half of those Gryffindor colors.

He only deserved the red.

Red, for all the blood he had spilled when he had become a traitor.

 _Traitor._

No, Peter wasn't brave. He didn't deserve to be a Gryffindor.

Maybe he stayed true to the crimson-red, but he would never deserve the gold.

He would never, ever, _ever_ deserve the courageous Gryffindor gold.


	4. Dish Best Served Cold

**Title:** Dish Best Served Cold

 **Summary:** Neville wants revenge on Bellatrix Lestrange.

 **Rating:** T **(WARNING FOR MENTIONS OF INSANITY)**

 **Pairings:** None

 **Challenges:** Once Upon A Time Characters Category Challenge-tition - Competition: Regina Mills - "Write about a character seeking revenge."

 **Extra Notes:** I've never really written Neville as a "dark" person, so I hope this works out... Enjoy!

 **Dish Best Served Cold**

Neville Longbottom clenched his teeth, fists tightening at his sides.

Outside the castle, the battle was raging on. Many of his fellow students were out there, fearlessly defending their school and their friends.

He had never been prouder to be a Gryffindor.

But, even as he stalked through the Hogwarts corridors impossibly fast, he wasn't thinking of the war.

He was thinking of Bellatrix.

The evil, insane, crazed woman whose twisted smile and wild eyes had cost his parents their sanity.

A single tear slipped down his face.

He had never felt so angry in his entire life- he had never felt so bold, so daring.

Today was the day he would get his revenge on the witch.

It had been long in coming, but she had robbed him of his parents love and time and affection. She had made them lose their mind.

And today, he would do the same to her.

Blood rushed to his head, thoughts spinning madly around in his brain.

And, suddenly, the flood of power he had been feeling was gone.

He felt weak, scared… just like the old Neville.

"What am I doing?" he whispered to himself, running his hands through his short hair.

And then her laugh echoed in his ears once more, setting him back on track.

 _I'll hunt her down._

Yes, it had been a long time since Bellatrix had broken his parents.

But that didn't matter.

 _I'll hunt her down. I'll make her pay._

His grandmother's words from years ago surfaced through his muddled thoughts: _An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, Neville. Payback isn't everything. Revenge won't make you happy._

For many years, he had believed her.

But now he knew the truth.

"It will make me happy," he promised himself. "It will. I know it will."

His voice sounded hysterical to his own ears.

 _It had been so long._

But revenge was a dish best served cold.


	5. Once Bitten, Twice Shy

**Title:** Once Bitten, Twice Shy

 **Summary:** Fenrir Greyback has caused quite a lot of pain.

 **Rating:** T

 **Pairings:** None

 **Challenges:** Once Upon A Time Characters Category Challenge-tition - Competition: Red/Ruby Lucas - "Write about a character being a werewolf."

The Christmas Character Challenge - Nice - "Write about a dark character."

 **Extra Notes:** Enjoy!

 **Once Bitten, Twice Shy**

 _Werewolf._

The word was spat like a curse, whispered in the streets in the dead of night as the wolves howled at the moon.

As if the excruciating agony of his first transformation wasn't enough; enduring the sideways glances, the hushed gossip, the cruel sneers…

That was when he made a promise to himself.

If he couldn't live a normal life, _nobody_ could.

And so he began on his mission, infecting and spreading his disease like a poison.

That was when Fenrir Greyback gave in to the darkness.

 **.oOo.**

 _Werewolf._

A young boy, barely five years old, sobbed into his pillow.

He didn't understand; didn't understand what had happened when his father was firing spells at some stranger in the night, didn't understand what had happened when he woke up in the morning to find his hands stained with crimson.

His mother whispered soothing words to him, and his father always promised that everything was going to be all right, that they would somehow find a cure.

But a cure for _what?_

What was wrong with him?

Remus Lupin had no idea.

 **.oOo.**

Years later, Remus took a deep breath, straightening his tie.

 _A teacher._

He was going to become a _Defense Against the Dark Arts_ teacher. And he couldn't be more proud.

Because if he was going to show these Hogwarts students how to stay out of the shadows, then maybe there was hope for him yet.

Maybe there was hope for all lycanthropes out there to hang on to the last shards of light in their lives and treasure them.

Maybe his life wouldn't be filled with lurking evil after all. Perhaps… perhaps he could even have a _family_ some day.

Dare he dream?

 **.oOo.**

 _Werewolf._

The young woman barely registered what was happening when she was attacked.

All she knew was that she had been fighting with all her heart, aiming spells left and right, determined to protect Hogwarts, her second home.

Determined to protect her friends, and determined to protect everything she believed was right.

She spotted a vague blur out of the corner of her eye, but was too busy shouting the Killing Curse at a Death Eater who was dueling Parvati.

Parvati Patil. Her oldest and closest friend.

Yes, she would do anything to protect her friends.

When Greyback attacked, she was also aware of Hermione Granger, a girl she had always considered her rival, scream and force him away from her.

But the damage had been done.

As Lavender Brown faded in and out of consciousness, she smiled faintly. The world was full of surprises: Hermione wasn't that bad after all, she was going to die long before her time, and maybe light had a chance of beating the darkness once and for all.

 **.oOo.**

 _Werewolves._

Dark creatures who would never be able to escape their bloodstained reputation.

And yet…

And yet it was possible to avoid succumbing to the darkness. It was possible to live in the light of the sun instead of lurking in the depths of the inky moonlight. It was possible for some of the world's darkest creatures to make friends, to love, to live, to laugh again.

Lives have been lost; hundreds, thousands.

If only Fenrir Greyback had given himself a chance.


	6. The Relief of Friendship

**Title:** The Relief of Friendship

 **Summary:** Harry and Ginny decide they're better off as friends.

 **Rating:** K+

 **Pairings:** None

 **Challenges:** Can You Make It To The End Challenge - Round 6 - "Write a breakup fic for the ship HarryGinny."

 **Extra Notes:** Enjoy!

 **The Relief of Friendship**

Harry swallowed hard as he entered the Three Broomsticks. He scanned the cozy space, his anxiety only growing when he saw that nearly every booth was filled with chattering friends or happy couples.

A wave of nausea hit him, and he'd never been more scared in his entire life. Sure, he had faced dragons and trolls and even the Dark Lord, but he couldn't handle his _girlfriend?_

What kind of brave hero was he?

"Harry!" a voice called, and Harry whirled around.

Sitting in a corner booth of the Three Broomsticks was Ginny, waiting expectantly.

Harry offered her a weak smile before joining her in the booth, sliding into the seat across from her.

"So," Ginny said seriously, "I know you said you wanted to talk to me, but there's something I have to tell you first."

Harry nodded, not trusting himself to speak; his mouth was simply too dry.

Ginny bit her lip. "So… I don't… I don't think we should…" She sighed. "Idon'tthinkweshoulddateanymore."

Harry blinked. "What?"

"I don't think we should date anymore," Ginny repeated, more slowly this time. "I- I'm really sorry, Harry, it's just-"

"Oh thank _Merlin!"_ Harry interrupted, relief filling his heart.

Now it was Ginny's turn to stare in shock.

"I- I was going to break up with you today," Harry hurriedly explained. "And- well- it was very… nerve-wracking."

A sudden smile spread over Ginny's face. "So… you're not upset?"

"No," Harry shook his head, smiling back at her. "And you're not upset either?"

"No," Ginny said, her smile widening into a grin. "I'm not upset."

Harry beamed back at her. "And… you're not going to ignore me for the rest of my life?"

"Of course not," Ginny scoffed, as if the idea was ridiculous. "That would be pretty hard, after all. My mother has practically adopted you at this point- even though I really didn't need _another_ brother."

"True," Harry said, chuckling. He met Ginny's eyes. "Ginny Weasley, would you do me the honor of being my friend?"

Ginny smirked. "The honor would be all mine, Harry Potter."

Harry burst out laughing- he wasn't sure why, exactly, but it probably had something to do with the fact that his chest felt lighter than it had in days and the fact that Ginny was smiling radiantly, looking more relaxed than he had seen her in a long time.

Maybe he shouldn't have been so anxious after all.


	7. Just What Brothers Do

**Title:** Just What Brothers Do

 **Summary:** Fred, George, and Ron decide it's high time to have a talk with Ginny.

 **Rating:** K+

 **Pairings:** Mentions of Ginny/Luna

 **Challenges:** QLFC Training Camp - Seeker: Banchory Bangers - Round 2 (Not Your Average OTP) - "Write about a third party interest in your OTP."

 **Extra Notes:** Enjoy!

 **Just What Brothers Do**

Ginny huffed a frustrated sigh as she stared down at her Herbology textbook. She would _never_ be able to make sense of the complicated mess that was Latin plant names.

She let out another loud groan, flopping back onto her bed, her long red hair splaying across her pillows. It was Christmas break, for Merlin's sake! She should be outside, throwing snowballs at her brothers, or going out for cocoa with Luna, or even helping her mum do household chores (something she had promised to do, but never actually gotten around to). Whatever the case, Ginny felt that studying was something she definitely _should not_ be doing.

Just then, there was a knock at her bedroom door. Ginny sat up on her bed, pleasantly surprised- not only for the distraction from her reading, but at the prospect of someone actually bothering to _knock_ before barging into her bedroom.

"Come in!" Ginny called.

The door swung open, and Ron trooped inside, Fred and George at his heels.

"Morning, Gin," Fred said with a cheery smile, perching on the edge of her bed. Winking at her, George sat beside his brother, swinging his dirty boots up onto her comforter. Ginny wrinkled her nose; now she would need to add scrubbing the dirt out of her blanket to her already endless list of chores.

Ron chose to stand, leaning against her dresser. "Good morning, Ginevra Weasley."

Ginny blinked, staring at him in shock. "What… did you just call me?"

"We said act _casual,_ mate," George complained to Ron, rolling his eyes. "There's nothing casual about calling her _Ginevra!"_

Ginny crossed her arms. "What's going on here?"

"Well," Fred began dramatically, "we were staging an intervention-"

"It is _not_ an intervention, Fred," Ron interrupted.

Fred, however, went on as if he hadn't heard him. "As I was saying, before I was so _rudely_ interrupted, we wanted to have a talk with you."

"What about?" Ginny demanded, eyes narrowing further.

"Luna," all three boys replied promptly in unison.

Ginny was silent for a moment.

Then she burst out laughing.

"Is this a joke?" she asked. "Because every time I mention Luna, it's all, 'Gin, stop, we _know_ her hair is beautiful' or _'Please_ stop going on about her _blue eyes,_ Ginny,' or 'Shut _up,_ we know Luna believes in Nargles' or-"

"We get the picture," George interrupted. "But that's not exactly the kind of Luna talk we wanted to have with you."

Ginny frowned. "Do… Do one of you fancy her? Because, for your information, she is _my_ girlfriend, and I-"

"Calm down, Gin," Ron assured her. "We don't fancy her."

Ginny racked her brain, but could think of absolutely no other reason her brothers would want to talk to her about Luna. "Then what?"

Fred leaned forward, twining his fingers together. "How's she treating you, Ginny?"

Ginny's eyes widened. "How's Luna _treating_ me?"

"Yes," Ron nodded. "Is she good to you? What are her _intentions,_ exactly?"

"What are her- what are her intentions?" Ginny sputtered. "Merlin, Ron, you're sounding more and more like Dad every day. _Of course_ Luna treats me well."

"Mhmm," George hummed. "But we feel we wouldn't be doing our duty as your big brothers if we didn't ask."

"Okay," Ginny sighed. "You've _'done your duty'_ and you've interrupted my studying. Can you leave now?"

"We're not quite finished yet," Fred interjected, almost apologetically. "You haven't introduced your girlfriend to us, Gin! Not once!"

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, truly confused. "You've met Luna dozens of times."

"But never as your _girlfriend,"_ Ron reminded her. "Every time she's come over, it's been because she's your _friend._ You've never actually introduced us to her as your _girlfriend."_

"We only started dating three weeks ago!" Ginny exclaimed. "And we've been at school! I haven't exactly had the chance to re-introduce her to our family, now, have I?" She frowned at them. "And besides, now I'm not even sure I want to."

"Come on," George said. "Invite her over! Then we can interrogate her, like proper older brothers."

"And tell her all sorts of embarrassing stories about when you were a baby," Fred added.

"And make sure she knows to treat you right," Ron said firmly.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "This is _Luna_ we're talking about. She would never hurt a soul, and she would never _ever_ hurt _me."_

Just then, they heard the front door open loudly. The sounds of Molly Weasley greeting somebody filled the house.

"Hello, Luna!" they heard Molly say. "Wonderful to see you! Ginny's in her room!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Luna's voice replied.

Ginny's eyes widened in panic, and she glanced desperately to her brothers, pained to see that they were all wearing identical smirks, their eyes gleaming wickedly.

Ginny leapt off her bed, determined to beat them to the front door, but Ron, Fred, and George were already out of the room, probably skidding into the kitchen to ambush Luna.

"Hello, Luna!" Ginny heard Fred say, much louder than necessary. She grimaced as his voice carried all the way to her bedroom.

"Hello, Fred," Luna answered brightly.

"We've just got a few things to ask you…" George noted, and Ginny raced out of her bedroom, needing to intercept them before poor Luna was scared off forever.

"Ask away," Luna answered easily, and Ginny mentally scolded her girlfriend's neverending politeness.

This was not going to go well.


	8. The End of All Things

**Title:** The End of All Things

 **Summary:** After the war, life is hard for George Weasley.

 **Rating:** T

 **Pairings:** None

 **Challenges:** The Official Forum Title Exchange (January 2018) - for Emy's title - "The End of All Things."

Criminal Minds Character Category Competition - Competition: Aaron Hotchner - "Write about a character mourning something."

 **Extra Notes:** Enjoy!

 **The End of All Things**

 _"Hey, Perce?"_

 _"What is it, George?"_

 _"What do you think the end of the world will look like?"_

 _He pauses just long enough to glance up from his book. "I don't know. Go ask Fred."_

 _So you do._

 _And Fred says something about a Muggle apocalypse and dragons taking over the world and you both laugh about it and it is forgotten._

 **X**

Fred was wrong.

The End of the World is not a Muggle apocalypse, nor is it dragons rising up to conquer all of humankind.

No, the End comes more slowly and more painful than that.

 **X**

The End is when your heart gets torn to shreds because half of your soul has been cruelly ripped out of your hands and thrown into the dark abyss that is Death.

And it isn't fitting, not at all; because Fred, your twin, is _anything_ but death- he is the definition of light and laughter and friendship and everything good in the world.

But no amount of joking or goodness can bring him back now.

 **X**

The End is when you don't know what it's like to smile anymore. You used to smile all the time and suddenly you _don't,_ because he isn't alive and neither are you, in a way. You are living but you are not _alive._

 **X**

The End is when you starve yourself because you forget to eat, and when sleep is nothing more than a memory. Every time you close your eyes it's your brother's face you see and he is _there,_ close enough to touch but not nearly close enough.

 **X**

The End is when you're forced to attend service after service with people you've never even met but you know are part of your family because of their shockingly red hair. They murmur their condolences and you want to scream because condolences can't bring him back, and neither can whispers of _sorry._

 **X**

The End is when your family forgets how to act around one another and your mother still yells, _"Boys! Stop that this instant!"_ out of habit. And when your baby sister who has suddenly grown up comes to you, sobbing, saying that she can't remember his voice anymore.

 **X**

The End is when you _know_ that _everyone_ has lost somebody, that _everyone_ is slowly rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of War. You feel _cruel_ because everyone else is at least _trying_ and you just _can't_ and it's _so hard._

 **X**

The End is when the people around you start to move on and bring forth life from the charred foundations of the Old World. They begin to smile again, to laugh again, and their eyes are heavy with sadness but also bright with hope. And you're just holding them back, a dead weight dragging them down and you feel as if you have no place in this New World of theirs.

 **X**

The End is when your own mother's memory of him begins to falter and your self-control shatters. You're _selfish_ and you hoard memories of him like they're worth more than gold- and they are- but at the same time, you wish with all your heart that you could just _forget._

Maybe the numbness of forgetting him altogether would be better than this ceaseless pain that breaks your back with every step.

But you _can't_ forget him, not even a little, because every time you look in the mirror it's his face that looks back at you, and you can barely recognize him- you can barely recognize _you,_ because your eyes are dead.

When you see yourself in the mirror, wearing the face you used to share with him, it feels like you're being a disgrace to his memory- because how _dare_ you make his face look so lifeless and agonized.

You stop looking in the mirror.

 **X**

All those years ago, you asked Fred what the End of the World would be like. He was wrong; now you know the truth.

But you'll never be able to tell him, because he's gone.

He's gone and you know you took him for granted while he was still alive; you thought he would always be there, at your side, and now he's _not._ You had so many dreams. He had so many dreams.

Never in your life have you been without him. You weren't prepared for _this,_ this emptiness inside.

You are alone.


	9. Secrets

**Title:** Secrets

 **Summary:** It was a secret that brought them together.

 **Rating:** K+

 **Pairings:** The beginnings of Molly/Arthur

 **Challenges:**

HPFC

Criminal Minds Character Category Competition - Competition: Jennifer Jaraeu - "Write about a character keeping a secret."

QLFC Training Camp

Seeker: Banchory Bangers - Finals (Weasleys) - "Write a fic about Molly and Arthur."

The Golden Snitch

Centaurus, Aurora - Through the Universe Challenge - "11. Apparent Magnitude - (object) wand."

Lumos!

Ravenclaw House - Emotional Range of a Teaspoon Challenge - "Kind."

 **Extra Notes:** Enjoy!

 **Secrets**

 _Footsteps._

Molly's eyes flashed open and she stared up into the blackness of the empty Common Room. Her neck ached; she had fallen asleep in one of the armchairs while studying for an upcoming Transfiguration test, and she was stiff all over.

She was about to doze back off when she heard those noises again- a series of rustling sounds, followed by more footsteps, as if someone was doing their best to be silent but failing miserably.

She didn't move from her spot in the armchair and instead squinted through the shadows, listening intently.

Her eyes barely made out the silhouette of a small, scrawny figure tiptoeing towards the portrait hole to exit the room.

Molly frowned and sat up, darkness cloaking her, and continued to watch as the portrait swung open and the person slid out into the Hogwarts corridors.

For a moment, she was torn; she knew she should probably go back to sleep. She had class in the morning, and if she didn't get enough rest, she would be groggy and glassy-eyed all day.

On the other hand…

She really, _really_ wanted to know why somebody was sneaking around the castle in the dead of night.

And if she didn't hurry up, she would lose them.

The moment the portrait had shut once more, Molly jumped to her feet and hurried to the exit. The portrait of the Fat Lady obediently opened yet again, grumbling at being disturbed.

Molly stepped into the hallway just in time to see the edge of a school robe disappear behind the corner up ahead.

She raced down the corridor, her own robes flying behind her, her crimson curls bouncing against her shoulders. The only light came from the slivers of moonbeams that poured through the windows lining the stone walls, illuminating the turns and curves of the hallway.

She turned the corner, entering another long corridor, spying the edge of flowing fabric as the figure dashed down a flight of steps.

Molly's eyes narrowed.

Whoever it was- they were heading to the _Slytherin_ dorms.

Picking up her speed, Molly followed down the narrow, twisting steps.

As she descended, the shadows seemed to grow darker, the air colder. She _hated_ this wing of the school- it was where she was forced to pass through for her Potions lessons, and the trip down was never enjoyable.

Soon, it got so black Molly couldn't see her own hand in front of her face.

She pulled her wand out of her robe pocket.

 _"Lumos,"_ she whispered, and-

\- and Molly screamed in shock as the stairwell filled with light and she came face-to-face with another person.

The other person shouted as well, throwing up his arms to shield his face from the sudden brightness.

Molly recognized the shock of red hair that peeked up from beneath his hands.

"Arthur… Weasley?" she asked slowly, disbelieving.

Gingerly, her fellow Gryffindor lowered his arms. His face was paler than usual, freckles standing out starkly on his cheeks.

"M- Molly," he stammered. "I- er- hello."

Molly blinked. "What are you doing down here?"

"What are you doing down here?" Arthur countered triumphantly.

"I- I was following _you!"_ Molly exclaimed.

There was a moment of tense, uncomfortable silence.

Then Molly noticed the small package Arthur cradled in his hands.

"What's that?" she demanded.

"Nothing!" Arthur replied hastily, trying in vain to hide the package behind his back. "It's nothing."

Molly crossed her arms, giving him a look.

He sighed, holding out the small cardboard box. "Fine. Look inside."

Carefully, Molly leaned forward and peeled back the top flaps.

Inside was an assortment of what Molly knew to be Muggle pens; she had seen them before in a shop in Diagon Alley. She had even used one once, and was delighted in the way the ink flowed smoothly over the paper.

"They're pens," Arthur began to explain, "like quills, except for Muggles-"

"I know what they are," Molly interrupted, subtly noticing the impressed look Arthur gave her. "Why do you have them, though?"

Arthur's cheeks reddened. "I… I…"

She fixed him with another pointed look.

"I stole them," Arthur mumbled, so quietly she almost missed it.

Molly's jaw dropped. _"Stole_ them? From whom?"

Arthur whispered something she didn't catch.

"What was that?"

"Lucius Malfoy," Arthur muttered. "I took them from Lucius Malfoy."

Molly blinked. Stared.

Blinked again.

"How?" she breathed, mostly appalled… but also partly in awe despite herself.

Arthur glanced down at the bundle in his hands miserably. "I've always loved Muggle items- they're just so interesting! And Malfoy was bragging to his friends about how he stole this from some- some Mudblood-" he cringed at the word before continuing "- and I figured it wouldn't hurt to just take a peek when he put it down, and then… and then…"

Molly nodded once, understanding.

Arthur hung his head. "I know I'm a terrible person."

"You're not," Molly assured him, but Arthur didn't seem to believe her.

"I need to put the pens back," he said urgently, "before Malfoy realizes they're gone. I don't want- I don't want anybody to know."

Molly frowned at him, and Arthur tensed, as if preparing himself for the worst.

"Can I help?" Molly asked finally. "I've always wanted to see the inside of the Slytherin Common Room."

Arthur's shoulders relaxed, a hesitant smile playing across his face. "Really?"

Molly grinned up at him. "Sure. It can be our secret."


	10. Bleeding Ink

**Title:** bleeding ink

 **Summary:** Charlie's fifteenth birthday is the first time he talks to his soulmate. It's also the last.

 **Rating:** T

 **Pairings:** Charlie/OC

 **Challenges:**

 _HPFC_

 _Old Fanfiction Tropes Competition - Soulmate AU - "Everyone has a predestined perfect romantic partner."_

 _Shay's Epic Board Game Challenge - Civilization / Advanced Civilization - "Write a fic over 2k."_

 _Hogwarts_

 _Assignment #2 - Travel & Tourism #5 - "Write about someone finding solitude somewhere and spending time alone."_

 _Writing Club - Cookie's Crafty Corner - "Knitting Fundamentals ; Cast On ; Write about characters meeting for the first time."_

 _Writing Club - Amber's Attic - "Tattoos ; 2. Loved One's Name: Write about someone important to your main character."_

 _Writing Club - Ami's Count Your Buttons - "(Character) Bill Weasley."_

 _Writing Club - Sophie's Lyric Alley - "10. When the sharpest words want to cut me down."_

 _Writing Club - Ami's Audio Admirations - "1. The Going-Home Song - Write about someone at home."_

 _Writing Club - Bex's Bazar - "Fun Facts About Elephants ; 3. Elephants purr like cats as a means to communicate ; Write about someone communicating without speaking."_

 _Summer Seasonal Challenges - Flowers - "Foxglove - (word) heart."_

 _Summer Seasonal Challenges - Gryffindor: Shay's Musical Challenge - "47. In the Heights - Write about moving away from home."_

 _Summer Seasonal Challenges - Gryffindor-Themed - "Characters ; Easy ; Charlie Weasley."_

 _QLFC Season 6_

 _Seeker: Appleby Arrows - Round 6 (Month by Month) - "December: Charlie Weasley."_

 _The Golden Snitch_

 _Centaurus, Aurora - Through the Universe Challenge - "26. Blueshift - (object) glasses."_

 _Room of Requirement_

 _Wand Wood Category Challenge - Chestnut - "Write about Charlie Weasley."_

 _The Ultimate Hogwarts House Competition - Ravenclaw - "166. (spell) Lumos."_

 **Extra Notes:** Enjoy!

 **bleeding ink**

The first time Charlie Weasley asked about his soulmate, he was six years old.

He was staring at his mother's pale forearms while she worked, waiting expectantly for telltale swirls of ink to materialize on her smooth skin. Then, as she stirred the pasta pot, his father's scrawling handwriting appeared on her inner elbow, written in navy blue ink.

Molly Weasley glanced down at her arm, a small smile playing across her lips.

"Charlie, dear," she said to her son, who was staring at the writing intently, "could you please get me a quill? Your father wants to know when dinner will be ready."

Wordlessly, Charlie nodded and scurried off to fetch a quill.

As he crossed the kitchen, gears in his head turning, he couldn't help but wonder: how was it possible that anything his father wrote on his own arm appeared on his mother's? It just didn't make sense.

So when Charlie returned to the kitchen with a quill and ink in hand, he asked the question.

"Mummy, why can Daddy write on your arm?"

Molly turned to him, her red ringlets slapping her chin. "Because," she answered slowly, "your daddy is my soulmate. And that's what soulmates do; they write messages to each other through their arms."

"What's a soulmate?"

"It's your true love," Molly explained. "The one person who you're meant to be with."

Charlie glanced at her thoughtfully. "But how does it work?"

Molly smiled again. "Nobody knows," she answered gently. "Sometimes, soulmates communicate for years through their arms, but they might never meet since they're on opposite sides of the world."

Charlie frowned. "Then how come they don't just tell each other where they are? And then go and find each other?"

Molly's bright eyes became sad. "Because, Charlie, the soulmate magic doesn't work that way. It won't allow you to send your soulmate an address- or even your full name- until you actually meet in person."

"But why?" Charlie repeated, brow creasing. "Wouldn't it be so much easier if everybody just met and became happy for the rest of their lives?"

"Yes, Charlie," Molly murmured. "But the world doesn't work that way, unfortunately."

Charlie glanced down at his own bare forearm, peppered with freckles. "That's sad."

Molly went back to stirring her pasta.

.oOo.

The second time Charlie Weasley asked about his soulmate, he was seven years old.

"Daddy," he said, walking into his father's study, where Arthur Weasley was sitting at his desk, "how old were you when you could talk to Mummy from your arm?"

Arthur looked up from where he was reading a book on Muggle inventions. He ran a hand through his already-thinning red hair. "Well, I was... sixteen, I think. Why?"

"And how did it happen?" Charlie pressed on. "How did you know you could talk to her?"

"I felt a sort of burning in my left fingers," Arthur responded. "And then... I knew. So I took a quill and wrote _'Hello?'_ And then I got an answer, and your mum and I started talking."

"And then when did you meet in person?"

"Oh, we had actually met in person long before we started chatting," Arthur laughed, "since we went to Hogwarts together. The soulmate bond is funny that way. Your mum and I were friends for a long time before our bond clicked into place, and when it did, we were able to tell each other exactly who we were, since we had already met in real life before."

Charlie's brow creased. This soulmate spell just got more and more confusing with each question he asked.

He stopped asking, said goodnight to his father, and went to bed.

.oOo.

The third time Charlie mulled over the topic of his soulmate was on his fifteenth birthday.

He stared up at his ceiling in the darkness of his bedroom, folding his arms behind his head on his pillow. The soft snores of his brothers filled the air around him. He couldn't sleep, for some reason; maybe it was the sugar from the delicious birthday cake they had cut after dinner, or maybe it was something else, but Charlie felt restless. Jittery.

 _At least I'm sleeping in my own bedroom,_ he reminded himself. That was one of the perks of having a birthday that fell during the December holidays. His own bed was infinitely more comfortable than the one in the Gryffindor dorm, not because it was larger, but because it felt like home.

And then a bolt of agony shot through him, so harsh and painful that his vision swam.

Clamping his jaw tightly shut to muffle a scream, Charlie clutched his right arm to his chest, tears leaking from his eyes. He couldn't think, couldn't focus, could barely even _breathe-_

And then, just as suddenly as it had come, the pain subsided, replaced by a wave of cool relief.

Charlie let out a shuddery breath, blinking rapidly to stop the world from spinning uncontrollably around him.

 _What was_ that?

And then, suddenly, he knew. Muttering under his breath, Charlie groped around his comforter, searching for his wand. He found it tangled in the sheets by his knees and grasped it in his hand with a whispered _"Lumos."_

An orb of light appeared at the tip of his wand, encasing his bed in a small bubble of glowing warmth. Swallowing hard, Charlie snuck a look down at his arm.

His heart skipped a beat- actually, more like a million beats- and then his breath came quicker, practically rattling in his lungs.

There, etched in his skin like it had been there forever, was a simple word written in looping, black ink.

 _Hey._

Hey? _Hey?_ What kind of greeting was _hey?_ What did that even _mean?_

Charlie stared, frozen in place, half expecting the word to disappear, a result of an overactive imagination.

But it didn't disappear- not in the way he was waiting for, at least. Instead, the word faded away until it was nothing more than a faint smudge. Then it was replaced by a single letter, followed by another, and another, forming a new phrase.

 _Are you there?_

And then Charlie was spurred into action, stumbling out of bed and half-crashing into the pile of textbooks littered across the floor, a result of him and his brothers working on their Hogwarts assignments. He knelt, frantically reaching for a quill and ink. His fingers closed around a quill and he lifted it to his skin, his wand emanating light from where it was abandoned on the floor.

Charlie pressed the quill tip into his flesh, the sharp coldness of it startling him back into reality.

With a shaking hand, he wrote back.

 _Yes._

.oOo.

They talked through the night.

Charlie didn't move from his spot on the floor, letting his wand illuminate his arm as he and his soulmate frantically communicated.

Her name was Maya. Her last name, Charlie didn't know; Maya had told him that the soulmate spell hadn't allowed her to write it. He tested her claim, finding that it was right. When he tried to tell her that his name was Charlie _Weasley_ , the _Weasley_ part of the name simply didn't appear on his flesh, no matter how many times he wrote it.

He also learned that Maya's favorite color was navy blue, and that her hair was dark and short, and that her eyes were brown. She loved animals- something they both had in common.

But some things she had said had sounded... strange. Foreign.

Like when Charlie told her he went to school at Hogwarts. Her response had been, _"What's Hogwarts?"_

That had stumped him. So Charlie had hastily changed the topic, switching to asking if she had any siblings.

Maybe she was a Muggle. But if she was, that would only make it that much harder for them to eventually cross paths.

.oOo.

The next morning, as hazy sunlight filtered through the windows and Bill and Percy stirred in their beds, Charlie was still sitting on the floor, fingers stained with ink. His head throbbed, his eyes bleary and red, but he hadn't been able to sleep.

He was just thinking about how scary it was- how _terrifying_ \- that he had just _spoken to his soulmate and he didn't even know her and she was supposed to be his "true love," or something like that…_

He didn't like the thought, for some reason. It made his stomach feel queasy. How was he supposed to love her if he hadn't even _met_ her?

Charlie felt a hand on his shoulder and he startled, craning his head upwards.

Bill stood over him, red hair mussed and blue eyes still foggy with sleep. "What's going on, Charlie?" he mumbled. Percy stood right behind him, staring intently at his older brothers through the lenses of his round glasses.

Charlie wordlessly held up his arm, stained with blue ink. Maya hadn't said a word in over an hour.

Bill's eyes widened and he muttered something under his breath."

"I'm telling Mum that you used a swear word," Percy announced. But he didn't move, obviously too curious to leave.

"Your soulmate," Bill said quietly. "Who is it?"

"Somebody named Maya," Charlie answered, looking down at his arm. "She's a Muggle, I think. Hasn't heard of Hogwarts before."

And then Bill took his younger brother by the hand and led him out of the bedroom, Percy following close behind.

.oOo.

Breakfast was a complicated affair.

The overlapping chatter over Charlie's soulmate spell kicking in was broken only by the high-pitched wails of baby Ron, who Molly was frantically trying to quiet down. The chaos only worsened when Fred and George woke up and accidentally knocked over a stack of books, creating a domino effect of spilling drinks and clattering place.

Eventually, Charlie just excused himself, saying he was going out. Without even bothering to change out of his pyjamas, he jammed his feet into a pair of shoes and walked out the front door, shutting it firmly behind him.

Almost instantly, all the noise and clattering coming from the warmth of the kitchen was silenced. Charlie stood in his front yard, shivering as the frigid December wind rustled his hair.

But it was quiet. And he needed quiet, to think.

As nervous as the thought made him, he wanted to get to know Maya. As a friend, at least, if nothing more.

And then there was a tingling in his arm, almost as if Maya had read his thoughts.

Charlie glanced down at the words appearing near his wrist, mesmerized by the swirling ink.

 _You said you went to Hogwarts._

Charlie frowned. That was what Maya wanted to talk about? School?

He almost whipped his wand from his sleeve to summon a quill when he realized he was still in his pyjamas- meaning he couldn't write back.

But it seemed as if Maya wasn't waiting for a reply. As her first sentence faded away, another took its place.

 _I know why the name 'Hogwarts' sounds familiar now._

Charlie's frown deepened. What was she talking about?

 _You're one of them, aren't you? One of the Snake People, with the magical powers?_

It felt as if somebody had just dropped a brick of lead into the pit of Charlie's stomach. Snake People? Powers?

What was she talking about? How did she know about magic?

A thought flashed through Charlie's mind, something he had learned about snake tattoos.

It took a moment for everything to click into place.

And then Charlie nearly threw up. She thought… she thought he was a _Death Eater?_

His arm burned as Maya wrote one last word:

 _MURDERER._

.oOo.

All day, Charlie tried to write to her.

 _Maya? Maya, please answer me._

But she didn't.

Charlie wiped the tears from his eyes. The image of his bedroom had gone blurry around him long ago. Empty ink pots and broken quills littered the floorboards around him. His pyjamas were stained black in some places, and his fingers looked as if he had been playing with charcoal.

There was a knock at the bedroom door.

Charlie didn't answer, letting the quill in his fingers slip to the ground and join the rest.

There was a creak as the door opened, and Molly poked her head into the bedroom.

"Charlie," she said softly, gently, "it's dinner time."

"I'm not hungry," Charlie replied stiffly. His voice sounded foreign to his own ears.

He vaguely registered the fact that his five brothers were standing behind his mum in a concerned huddle. Even Ron was quiet, chewing on his thumb from where he was cradled in Bill's arms.

"I tried to tell her," Charlie said quietly, voice cracking, "but she wouldn't listen. I'm not a murderer."

"I know," Molly whispered, and it sounded like her heart was breaking too. "I know."

.oOo.

Time flew by.

Soon, six months had passed with no contact from his soulmate. Charlie was home for the summer, left with nothing to do except for listening to Percy's bragging that he would someday be prefect.

Every once in a while, his eyes would drift to his arm, where he could have sworn he still saw the faint outline of that horrible word.

 _MURDERER._

.oOo.

On Charlie's sixteenth birthday, everyone made a point of not mentioning Maya's name.

It had been an entire year since they had started talking- and a year since they had stopped. It was easier now, though, not to think about her. After all, Charlie had been determinedly not-thinking about her all year. He was an expert.

It also helped that Mum had finally had a daughter, and suddenly there was a new female addition to the Weasley family. It was difficult to believe. Combined with the fact that Bill had graduated Hogwarts meant that there was so much laughter and light in the house that it was hard to dwell on memories of a girl he had never met.

That didn't mean, however, that on quiet nights, Charlie would roll over his bed and wonder if his arm would start to tingle with inky black words.

"You're going to _Romania_?" Percy repeated incredulously from Charlie's right. "To study _dragons_?"

Charlie rolled his eyes. "For the third time, Percy, _yes_. Why is that so hard to believe?"

"You're only eighteen," Arthur reminded him- as if Charlie needed reminding- while leaning over their kitchen table. "Are you… are you sure?"

"He's an adult," Molly argued from beside her husband. "He can make his own choices, just like Bill did." She directed her attention to her second-eldest son. "If your dream is to study dragons in Romania, Charlie, follow your dream."

Charlie shot her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Mum."

"Will you at least visit?" Percy tried desperately, and Charlie turned to his younger brother.

"Of course," he said gently. "Come here, Perce."

And with that, he pulled his brother into a tight embrace.

 _It was going to be okay._

.oOo.

Charlie liked Romania.

Working with dragons all day was absolutely thrilling- even if his shirts were signed around the edges. His job, his _life_ , was incredibly rewarding.

Charlie grinned at the thought, brushing soot off his trousers. He was walking through the streets of a Muggle area in Romania, where the air was warm and sunny and the roads were bustling with commotion.

Charlie entered the shop on the corner, pushing open the glass door. A bell overhead jingled overhead to signal his arrival. The small coffee shop was his favorite place to have lunch, despite it being a long walk from his work.

The shop was empty, save for two people- a man behind the counter at the very back, and a young woman sitting at a corner table with a mug in her hands.

As Charlie stood in the doorway, his arm began to burn.

His gaze fixed on the young woman, and she seemed to freeze in her seat. Ever so slowly, she lifted her head so her brown eyes locked with his blue ones.

"Maya," Charlie breathed, heart hammering a mile a minute.

The man behind the counter glanced up at them momentarily before going back to wiping down the counter with a rag.

Charlie's legs seemed to carry him forward of their own accord. Within a few seconds, he was standing at Maya's table, just a few feet from where she was sitting.

She was _so close._

And she looked just like she had described herself all those years ago- albeit a little older. Her skin was caramel smooth, marked by only the light freckles sprayed across her nose. Her hair, dark and sleek, was cut right beneath her chin. She had glasses, though, something she hadn't mentioned when they were younger.

Maya stiffened. "You-"

"Let me explain," Charlie said hastily, all those years of dread and nervousness and regret pouring themselves out. "I- it's not what you think, Maya."

She flinched back at the use of her name. "Your people murdered my parents," she hissed, and her eyes were glimmering with tears.

"I'm not one of them," Charlie said quietly. His heart ached at the hatred in her voice. "Let me… please, give me a chance."

Maya regarded him for a long, long minute.

Finally, she nodded to the seat across from her. "Sit," she whispered, voice ragged.

Charlie pulled out the chair. The scraping of the legs against the wooden floorboards seemed too harsh, too loud, for the delicateness of the situation.

He sat down.

It wasn't much, he thought to himself as he locked eyes with Maya, but it was something.

It was a start.


	11. Unchained

**Title:** Unchained

 **Summary:** Percy finds a ring, and it changes everything.

 **Rating:** T (Slightly dark...)

 **Pairings:** Brief mention of Percy/Penelope

 **Challenges:**

HPFC

Ultimate AU Prompathon Challenge - Harry Potter AUs - "switching sides!AU."

Shay's Epic Board Game Challenge - Euphrate and Tigris - "Write about gaining power."

Hogwarts

Assignment #3 - Gardening #11 - "Write about deception."

Writing Club - Liza's Character Appreciation - "13. Title: Head Boy."

Writing Club - Bex's Disney Challenge - "Themes ; Isolation ; Write about someone feeling isolated."

Writing Club - Amber's Attic - "General ; 3. Write about someone covering something up."

Writing Club - Ami's Count Your Buttons - "(Words) malicious ; (Dialogues) 'You don't get it, okay?'"

Writing Club - Sophie's Lyric Alley - "10. When the sharpest words want to cut me down."

Writing Club - Ami's Audio Admirations - "6. Top 40 Singles - Write a fic where the main theme is not about romance."

Writing Club - Angel's Arcade - "Black Dragon ; Kabal ; (title) Unchained, (dialogue) 'Let's see what you're made of,' (action) clenching fists."

Writing Club - Lo's Lowdown - "Quotes ; 1. 'Monsters are real. Ghosts are real, too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.'"

Writing Club - Bex's Bazar - "Dumbo ; 5. [Theme] Bullying - Write about someone being bullied."

Summer Seasonal Challenges - Elemental - "Fire prompts ; (object) fireplace."

Summer Seasonal Challenges - Gryffindor-Themed - "Characters ; Percy Weasley."

Summer Seasonal Challenges - Star Chart - "July 27 2018 ; Mars at Opposition ; (emotion) anger."

QLFC Season 6

Seeker: Appleby Arrows - Round 7 (Movies that Killed their Franchises) - "Green Lantern (2011)."

The Golden Snitch

Centaurus, Aurora - Through the Universe Challenge - "3. Accretion - (feeling) anger."

Room of Requirement

Wand Wood Category Challenge - Black Walnut - "Write about a character who is having an inner conflict."

The Ultimate Hogwarts House Competition - Ravenclaw - "42. (emotion) angry."

 **Extra Notes:** Enjoy!

 **Unchained**

"What about you, Percy?" Septimus asked his grandson. "How's school?"

Percy glanced up from where he had been poking at the food piled on the plate in front of him. He blinked in surprise as he stared at his grandfather, whose wrinkled hands were cupping a glass of water.

"You really want to know?" Percy asked, somewhat incredulously. He couldn't remember the last time a family member had asked him about his personal life- honestly, none of them seemed to care.

Septimus's gray eyebrows arched over his blue eyes. "Of course."

"Well," Percy said, straightening in his seat, pride filling his voice. "This year, I'm Head Boy-"

Two twin bursts of laughter exploded from Percy's right, and Percy's head snapped in the direction of the sound. He scowled at Fred and George, who were doubled over and snickering.

"It's all he talks about, lately," Fred snorted, fiddling with the sleeve of his knitted jumper.

 _"'Oh, look at me, I'm Head Boy,'"_ George simpered, putting on a high-pitched mock of Percy's voice. _"'I'm an uptight-"_

 _"We,_ on the other hand," Fred interrupted, "are planning to start a joke shop, Grandfather."

Percy watched in despair as his grandfather's attention drifted to his younger brothers. "Oh? Is that so?"

Clenching his fists beneath the table, Percy glared down at his untouched meal. He couldn't help but hate his brothers in that moment; all they did was _take_ from him- take _attention_ , take _praise_ , take… _everything_.

 _As do all my other siblings,_ Percy realized, eyes skimming across the table. The rest of the Weasleys were chattering happily with one another, encased in a bubble of glowing warmth and happiness.

Once again, Percy felt like an outsider in his own home. Isolated. _Alone_. Like he was _intruding_ , when Christmas was really supposed to be a family affair.

Percy roughly pushed his chair back from the table and stood up, scoffing when nobody even bothered to spare him a second glance.

When Percy left the room, nobody noticed.

 **X**

Percy lay flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom. Anger and hurt mingled in his thoughts, envy making him bitter.

Why did no one even _care_ about him anymore? It was as if his feelings were nonexistent, as if it were acceptable for his siblings to treat him like scum beneath their shoes just because he was _proud_ of himself for accomplishing what he had always wanted.

Percy inhaled shakily, pushing his finger under the lenses of his round glasses and swiping tears from his eyes.

He hated to admit it, but all their teasing, their mocking, their jokes- they _hurt_. Wasn't his family always supposed to be on his side? Weren't they supposed to always support him and believe in him?

There was a sudden scuffling sound from Percy's right and he flipped over so fast he almost fell off the bed.

There, sitting on Ron's small cot, was Scabbers, scratching at the blankets.

Percy smiled humorlessly.

"I guess I'm just spending Christmas with the rat, then," he muttered to himself.

Scabbers looked at him and squeaked.

 **X**

When Percy stepped into the Gryffindor Common Room after the holidays, immense relief crashed down on his shoulders in a wave.

He was _back_.

Back at school, the one place where he was praised for being smart by his teachers instead of being mocked for it by his younger brothers.

Percy stood there, drinking in the comforting sight of other students curled up in armchairs, reading or talking quietly in front of the crackling fireplace.

It was a nice feeling, to know he belonged.

 **X**

Percy was the last one to go to sleep that night.

He was so immersed in a history textbook, trying to get ahead in his classwork, he hadn't even noticed as the Common Room cleared out. By the time he flipped the last page, he was the only one still on an armchair, the only light coming from the flickering flames.

Percy shut the book and rested it in his lap, staring into the fire for a moment. The orange glow of the embers made his tired eyes ache.

Yawning, Percy stood up and ran a hand through his crimson curls. Picking up his book, he plodded towards the staircase leading to the boys' dormitory.

When he entered the pitch-dark dormitory, Percy had to whip out his wand and cast a quick _Lumos_ charm just to find his way to his bed. A few of the boys stirred at the light, but they all kept snoring on, unwaking.

Percy stepped over a pile of somebody's dirty clothing before he reached his bunk. He pulled back the curtains that shielded the bed from any prying eyes-

\- only to find a small, black box perched on the blanket.

Frowning slightly, Percy set down his wand on the pillows and picked up the box. It was about the size of his palm, and he turned it over in his hand, running his fingertips over the smooth edges.

What _was_ it?

Percy reasoned that it was probably either someone else's, and it had been put on the wrong bed; if not, then it was one of Fred and George's pranks.

Percy rolled his eyes. Of course it was a prank- Fred and George always loved to disturb his peace of mind by leaving him "gifts."

Percy dropped the box down onto the bed, where it bounced against the mattress. He heard a faint rattling sound come from inside it, as if whatever was in there was being shaken by the constant motion.

He stared at the box for a long, long moment.

That was when he spotted the words engraved on its lid- words that were so faint, he hadn't noticed them before.

Percy picked the box back up again, squinting at it.

 _For Percy_ , the box read. _A gift._

Percy chewed doubtfully on his lower lip. That was interesting; the writing was much too elegant to be Fred's or George's.

So maybe it truly _was_ a gift from one of his peers- a gift from someone who admired him and was too shy to say it to his face.

The thought made a small grin appear on Percy's lips. Curiosity getting the best of him, he opened the box.

Sitting inside it was a ring- a simple emerald-green band with a shimmering green, square-shaped rock on it.

Percy's brow furrowed slightly as he took the ring out of the box and toyed with it. It was a nice ring, sure, but who would get him a ring?

Humming thoughtfully, Percy slipped the ring onto his finger.

For a moment, he just admired the sheer shininess of it.

And then, out of nowhere, a wave of icy cold crashed through his veins. Freezing pain made his hands go numb, and for a moment, he couldn't see- the world went black right in front of his eyes.

Percy crumpled to the floor, fisting his hands in his hair and trying not to scream.

He heard a voice, then- a whispering voice in the darkness, wrapping around him and murmuring into his ear.

 _"Percy Weasley,"_ the voice hissed, and Percy shuddered violently. It was evil, he was sure of it; he could _feel_ its wicked presence in his bones. The ring, still heavy against his hand, seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat.

 _"Poor Percy Weasley,"_ the voice continued with a malicious chuckle, making invisible claws rake down Percy's spine. He craned his neck blindly, blinking in vain, but he still could see nothing but utter blackness.

 _"Mocked by his own family,"_ the voice mused, _"despised by his own brothers. They don't respect you. They never have, and they never will."_

There was a sensation of cold chains wrapping around his wrists, rendering him unable to move even as he jerked back roughly.

 _"All you want is to be the pride of your family, correct? for your younger brothers to look up to you, to want to be like you. But they don't, do they, Percy?"_

"Shut up," Percy spat, his voice hoarse. Each word was hitting too close to home, ringing with the terrible truth.

 _"But what if I told you I could help you achieve what you always wanted? Don't you want to be respected, Percy? Don't you want power?"_

"I know better than- than to trust dark magic," Percy panted, still struggling against the invisible chains binding his arms together. The air felt as if it were getting thicker, making it harder and harder to breathe.

 _"Smart boy,"_ the voice crooned. _"But think of it this way- if you were the one holding wielding the magic, then it wouldn't truly be 'dark,' would it? Because you would use it for good, wouldn't you, Percy?"_

Percy's mind was flooded with images: images of him surrounded by his family as they looked at him with pride in their eyes, images of an older version of him addressing a crowd of people, an image of him as the Minister of Magic…

 _"I know your deepest fears. Your deepest secrets. Because, now that you wear the ring, I am a part of you. I can help you get everything you ever wanted. So let's see what you're made of, Percy Weasley, shall we?"_

The chains around Percy's wrists vanished, just as quickly as they had appeared. The darkness cleared away, replaced by the vision of the boys' dormitory and Percy's wand, still emanating light from where it was lying on the pillows.

Percy exhaled, long and slow, not moving from his position on the floor. The green ring on his finger gleamed. Percy was suddenly struck with the realization that it was the same shade of green as an Avada Kedavra spell would be.

The thought prickled goosebumps across his arms.

What kind of power did the ring contain? If it was evil, then…

 _I'm the smartest wizard in my year,_ Percy reminded himself. _I can control this._

If just wearing the ring would bring him the respect he definitely deserved, then was there really any harm in keeping it on?

Percy hauled himself up into a standing position, bracing himself on the edge of his mattress. The ring on his finger glittered.

Suddenly exhausted and too overwhelmed to think, Percy collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep.

 **X**

"Oi, Perce, wake up!" came a familiar voice.

Percy's blue eyes fluttered open blearily, trying to adjust to the light flooding into the dormitory from the windows. Every bone in his body ached, and his joints felt stiff and uncomfortable.

Trying to sit up, Percy met the concerned gaze of Oliver Wood.

"I've been trying to wake you up for a while now," Oliver exclaimed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Everyone else has already gone to breakfast. You're _late_."

The statement shocked Percy into full awakeness.

" _Late_?" he sputtered. "I'm never _late_."

Oliver nodded solemnly, hazel eyes wide. "And you're not even wearing pyjamas. What's going on with you, Percy?"

Percy glanced down at himself only to see that Oliver was right; he had fallen asleep in his Gryffindor robes, leaving the fabric creased and wrinkled.

What had _happened_ last night?

A glint of green caught his eye and he looked down at his hand, where a ring shimmered in the morning light.

The events of the night before came back in a rush.

The voice. The ring.

 _Power_.

Now that he thought about it, Oliver didn't really talk to him much. Was the ring working? Was he gaining the respect of his fellow Gryffindors?

Percy straightened, climbing off his bed, and craned his neck up at Oliver. The Quidditch player was an entire head taller than him, making it hard to look him in the eye.

"Hey," Oliver commented, "nice ring. Where'd you get it?"

Percy immediately thrust his hand behind his back, shielding the ring from Oliver's view.

"Go to breakfast," he said haughtily. "Don't wait for me."

Oliver gave him a strange look. "You could've asked nicer, mate," he muttered before turning around and leaving in a swish of his robes.

Percy frowned at Oliver's retreating back. He didn't _feel_ overly powerful or respected.

Even so, he decided to leave the ring on- just for the sake of it.

 **X**

The minute Oliver left, Percy frantically started searching for a pair of shoes to wear, acutely aware of each second ticking by, making him later and later.

And he was _never_ late.

He absently wondered if anyone would notice- apart from Penelope Clearwater, his girlfriend. Not that they acted like much of a couple; whenever they spent time together, it was spent quietly studying. But Percy liked her, for she was one of the only people who truly appreciated him because she was just like him- dedicated, hardworking, and overlooked.

Now if only he could find his second shoe… and where had his _wand_ gone?

Percy let out a growl of frustration as he knelt beside the bed. Perhaps his wand had rolled underneath?

The moment the thought popped into his head, warmth spread through his hand, the band of the ring growing hot on his skin.

There was a sudden flash of green light, so bright and harsh that Percy instantly thought of the Killing Curse- though he didn't know why.

When the light faded and Percy's vision refocused, he could do nothing but stare at the spot in front of him, just beneath the bed.

The image of a hand seemed to float in the shadows, made up of pure, faintly glowing green light. It was translucent, allowing Percy to see through it, but it was also so obviously _there_ \- it had five perfectly proportioned fingers that connected to a palm that connected to a wrist, but the wrist was where the glowing hand simply _ended_. And the hand was clutching his wand.

Percy blinked, glancing between the hand hovering a foot in front of him and the green ring on his finger, trying to piece together what was happening.

He had wanted to find his wand.

And then, magically, _he had found it._

Taking a deep breath, Percy shuffled back a little bit, still on the floor. The magical hand seemed to trail along after him, holding out his wand like a peace offering.

Percy gulped. Then, ever so slowly, he reached out and carefully plucked his wand out from the green hand's grasp.

The moment he did so, the hand vanished into thin air, like it had never existed in the first place.

Trying to steady his racing thoughts, Percy held up his hand- the one decorated with the ring- and pointed to the rumpled sheets on his bed.

A second pair of green hands appeared, hovering just above the sheets. Percy watched as long fingers smoothed out the wrinkles and fluffed the pillows. When the job was done, the hands once again disappeared.

Percy hummed thoughtfully, looking down at the ring. It twinkled back up at him.

Maybe there was more to its power, after all.

 **X**

For the first time in his life, Percy skipped class.

He couldn't help himself- he desperately wanted to test out the power of the ring. Besides, he was ahead in his work, anyway.

Still, though, it didn't stop the nagging feeling of guilt that pressed into his stomach. There would be consequences for skipping.

He pushed the regret away in favor of practicing with the ring.

Its power was incredible- it could do almost _anything_. Percy had practiced with messing up his bed and knocking over items, only to summon a pair of hands to clean it all up for him. Not only that, but the ring could apparently create _shields_ \- he had discovered that when he tripped, only to find himself encased in a protective green bubble that vanished the moment he had gotten his bearings.

So Percy spent his day locked up in his dorm, creating bubbles and shields and hands and all manners of floating shapes.

 _I can practically perform_ wandless magic _with this thing,_ Percy thought smugly.

It felt good, to know that he could do something that nobody else could.

 **X**

Percy only left the boys' dormitory at dinner time; he had neglected to eat all day, and his stomach was rumbling painfully.

As he was walking through the corridors, nearing the Great Hall, he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

Percy nearly leapt out of his skin as he whirled around to look at whoever was behind him.

Standing there, looking rather stern, was Professor McGonagall.

Percy's mouth went dry, anxiety making his heart race.

"Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said stiffly, peering down at him over her nose. "Care to explain where you've been all day?"

"I- I'm sorry, Professor," Percy stammered out. "I- I was-"

He faltered, not knowing what to say. He wasn't used to getting in trouble; he wasn't a smooth liar like Fred or George.

McGonagall arched an eyebrow. "I hope you realize that your behavior is _completely_ inappropriate for a model student such as yourself."

The accusation made Percy's face burn in shame. She was right- what kind of example was he setting, hiding out in the dormitory all day?

"I'm still waiting for an explanation, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall announced.

Percy refused to meet her eyes. "I… I wasn't… feeling well?" he tried.

McGonagall crossed her arms, shaking her head. "I am very disappointed in you," she said quietly, her dark eyes growing cold.

 _I am very disappointed in you._

Percy clenched his teeth. "Yes, well, you aren't the only one!" he exploded.

McGonagall looked taken aback. "Pardon me?" she demanded, aghast.

 _"Everybody's_ disappointed in me, lately," Percy burst out, unable to stop the words pouring from his lips. "Nobody _cares_. Nobody _understands_."

"What-"

 _"You don't get it, okay?"_ Percy practically yelled. He was furious- angrier than he'd ever been in his entire life, and he didn't know how to control it. "I- all I want to do is make people _proud_ , but I _can't_ , and-"

"Where did you get that ring?" McGonagall interrupted, eyes locked on the ring on Percy's finger.

Immediately, Percy tugged down on the sleeve of his robe, trying in vain to hide it.

"Give me the ring, please," Professor McGonagall said slowly, holding out her hand.

Panic filled Percy's chest, making it hard to breathe.

 _"Don't let her steal what is rightfully yours,"_ a voice hissed in his head. _"Hold on to your power."_

And then, before Percy knew what was happening, McGonagall was shoved backwards by a pair of glowing green hands- shoved so hard that she hit the wall of the corridor behind him, her head connecting with the stone with a sickening crack.

Percy watched in horror as his favorite professor slumped to the floor, unmoving.

Tears prickled in his eyes and he frantically scanned the corridor, wondering if anyone had seen. To his relief, the halls were empty- everyone was probably in the Great Hall, enjoying their dinner, oblivious to the turmoil raging inside him.

Was she… was she _dead?_

Had Percy _killed_ her?

"Professor?" Percy squeaked, his voice breaking. McGonagall didn't move.

That was when Percy started to cry, tears rolling down his cheeks. This was all _his fault._ All his fault for taking the stupid ring and putting it on and skipping class and-

Percy grasped the ring in one hand and tried to yank it off.

It wouldn't budge.

"I don't want this," Percy sobbed, his words trembling. "I don't- I don't- I don't want it anymore. I don't care about power."

Dark magic.

He shouldn't have listened to that evil voice last night. He shouldn't have thought he could control it.

 _He had ruined everything._

And now he was more alone than ever before.

 _"No, you're not alone,"_ whispered that icy voice in his brain. _"I'm here, remember? You have power now, Percy. Power, and a friend."_

"I hurt Professor McGonagall- maybe even _killed_ her," Percy choked out. "I-"

 _"Killing a mortal is of no consequence!"_ the voice shrieked. _"Mortals are dying from the moment they are born. But you're not a mortal anymore, Percy. You're strong. You have everything you ever wanted."_

Percy's legs began to move, forcing him to walk away of their own accord. He wandered aimlessly down the hall, tears drying on his face. The silence around him seemed smothering.

Just then, a familiar, short poltergeist turned the corner in front of him, coming face-to-face with Percy. Percy scowled; Peeves had always mocked him like no other, and he wasn't sure if he could deal with his antics today.

But the roundish poltergeist just stared at him, those usually-mischievous eyes going wide with fear.

Wordlessly, Peeves turned away and swept away from Percy, disappearing around the corner.

Percy's blue eyes widened a fraction of an inch. He sniffed, wiping at his nose with his sleeve.

Peeves hadn't bothered him.

Peeves had been… _afraid_ of him.

He wasn't sure whether he was pleased or terrified.

 **X**

The next thing he knew, Percy was standing in the owlery. He blinked, taking in the sight of all the owls sleeping in their perches, feathery wings rustling in the wind blowing through the large, open window in the stone wall in front of him.

He had no idea how he had gotten to the owlery; the last thing he remembered was Peeves, and then…

And then _nothing_.

Percy edged closer to the wide window. The night sky was dark, moonlight smothered by thick clouds. It was raining heavily, the sound of droplets falling echoing in Percy's hearing.

He stood as close to the window as he could without falling out, breathing in the scent of the pouring rain. Wind combed through his hair, water spraying against his face.

He felt more at peace than he had in as long as he could remember.

 _Freedom._

That's what this feeling was- _freedom_. Release from the anxiety and stress and bitterness and judgment that had been building up inside him for months now.

 _"See?"_ that voice murmured, and it didn't sound evil anymore- no, it sounded… reassuring. Sympathetic. _"Power. Everything you ever wanted."_

Thunder boomed outside, lightning making the sky flash momentarily.

Percy swallowed hard. Nothing mattered anymore- not his classes, not his studies, not his siblings, not the unmoving body of McGonagall somewhere in the corridors downstairs…

All that mattered was now. This moment of feeling so… _strong_.

Percy allowed himself the smallest of smiles, and the ring on his finger sparkled.


End file.
